Executive Summary

• This week’s note “From the Desk of Deborah Weinswig” discusses eight things we can learn about retailing from China.
• Walmart is laying claim to a growing market for furniture products sold online with a new private-label brand called MoDRN. The brand is geared to customers who want trendier furniture at lower prices.
• JCPenney announced it will stop selling appliances and furniture in its U.S. stores as of Feb. 28. The company noted it will continue to sell appliances and furniture on its website and in some stores in Puerto Rico.
• China’s retail sales during the Lunar New Year holiday grew 8.5% year over year, according to the country’s Ministry of Commerce, but the pace of growth over the holiday period was the slowest since 2005.